During the production of his Oscar-nominated 2022 film Elvis, filmmaker Baz Luhrmann The Great Gatsby, Moulin Rouge!) came across never-before-seen footage of the legendary Elvis Presley. He utilized this to create the feature film EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert, a mix of documentary and concert film that takes a look at the King during the period when he launched his Las Vegas show and tour in 1969 and the early 1970s.
Going into this film, I didn’t know what to expect. Based on the title, I thought it was going to be more of a straightforward concert film. However, the first 20 minutes or so give more of a brief history of the singer, from his early controversy of swinging his hips on TV, to being accused of contributing to juvenile delinquency, to his arrest, draft, and movie career when he returned from the war. At that time, Elvis had grown tired of making the same junky movie over and over again, just with a new character name and a new location. He wanted a change, and to actually get back into performing.
After this intro, the documentary then follows Elvis as he plans, preps for, and executes his big Las Vegas show. We see him and his band practicing many of the now 426 songs accumulated in his catalog, and see discussions on how the venue should be layed out. This is intercut with song performances, crowd interactions, and behind-the-scenes footage from the Vegas show, as well as other interviews and archival footage of Elvis. Often just audio from some interview or press conference with Elvis is played over a montage of other clips.
NEON/Universal Pictures International/Alliance Home Entertainment have released EPiC: Elvis Presley In Concert on 4K UHD/Blu-ray, DVD and Digital, with a Deluxe 4K UHD/Blu-ray SteelBook release scheduled for November 3. We were sent the standard 4K release for review, which includes both the 4K and Blu-ray discs packed on either side of a standard 4K keepcase along with a cardboard slipcover. There is no digital copy included, and the only bonus material is some trailers/promos for the movie.
The clarity of the picture and fullness of the sound is quite remarkable. Even though the 4K release does not include HDR, the colors are bright and beautiful, and the level detail is excellent. If this wasn’t a documentary and everyone wasn’t dressed in their 70s best, you would think this had been shot today. The musical performances from the concert sound amazing and fill the room. I kind of which this had just been a full concert film instead of half documentary! Even when he’s just practicing with the band, you can see why Elvis was so huge—the raw talent is evident. One thing I especially enjoyed in the footage of him singing “new song” Burning Love on stage while holding a sheet with the lyrics since he hadn’t learned them yet.
What I found really surprising was how candid Elvis gets in these interviews as he talks about his insecurities and stage fright stepping onto a stage in front of thousands of people. I was also impressed with how well he knows people and the business, and the level of detail he was involved in when it came to planning all of the various aspects of his Vegas show. He shows how much he cares about his audience, making sure each show is treated the same as it may be the first and only time a particular audience member sees it. He also has great respect for his band, demanding that they appear on the stage with him as they are also a major part of the experience.
While the concert footage is great, and many of the interviews are interesting, one issue I had with the film is that it doesn’t seem to have a chronological throughline. It is more of a general celebration of Elvis, and particularly this early Vegas era, that jumps all around in time. Between 1969 and 1977, Elvis performed 1100 shows, sometimes 3 in one day, and it’s great to see a celebration of this era, which seems to have become more of a punchline over the decades. That said, if you are looking for some kind of single narrative to the interviews, there isn’t really one, and sometimes with it jumping back and forth in time, it can be difficult to tell what year the different footage and interviews are from. It would have been great if clips had been noted with this information.
Overall, I think Elvis fans will really enjoy this documentary as it is an uplifting and positive look at the man, and features some excellent musical performances that are captured in stunningly beautiful detail.
What’s Included:
Film: (1:36:26)
-
4K UHD:
- 2160p / Widescreen 2.35:1
- Audio: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, English Audio Description DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
- Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish
- 1080p / Widescreen 2.35:1
- Audio: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, English Audio Description DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
- Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish
Blu-ray:
Extras:
- Teaser (1:24)
- Trailer (1:32)
- TV Spots:
- Fanatic (:32)
- Never Before Seen (:32)
Final Thoughts:
Baz Luhrmann’s EPiC: Elvis Presley In Concert is an entertaining blend of documentary and concert film, primarily looking at Elvis’ launch of his Vegas show and tour in the early 1970s, but also just a general celebration of his work and career. The concert footage looks and sounds amazing and is sure to please any Elvis fan. NEON’s 4K release has a solid presentation, but is light on bonus material. There is a deluxe 4K SteelBook release planned for November 3, for those who don’t want to double-dip. The film is also currently steaming on Paramount+ for those who want to check it out there before a blind buy, or while waiting for the November release.
